Over 200 World Athletics road races set for 2022

World Athletics (WA) 2022 Label Road Races are set to start off with the10K Valencia in the Spanish city on Monday 9 January and conclude 12 months later on 31 December with the traditional New Year’s Eve races in Madrid, Spain, and Bolzano, Italy.

The world governing body released a calendar comprising Aosta 200 races in more than 40 countries across each of the sport's six areas. The schedule is subject to change due to the uncertainty created by Covid-19 with more races expected to join the Label programme once confirmed. 

The three-tier programme, introduced in 2020, comprises three Labels: a World Athletics Label, a World Athletics Elite Label and a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label.

“Despite the continued uncertainty around global travel and on mass gatherings in some parts of the world, the number of events that have chosen to be part of the World Athletics Label Road Races programme in 2022 exceeds 200, another all-time high, but some of the events need additional confirmation given the global pandemic,” said World Athletics Road Running Manager Alessio Punzi.

“This speaks volumes of the vitality of the running industry and of the optimism of operators worldwide."

The world has witnessed an increase in the number of people that have taken up running over the last two years alone, millions of people around the world as a way to manage their physical and mental health, many others are expected to join the 2022 races.

"We are grateful to all the race directors and their teams for their determination and tenacity. Staging marathons has never been easy, but in this day and age its complexities are mind-boggling. Now, more than ever, every race's starting line is a testament to its organisers' resilience and sheer passion for the sport and the community they serve," added Punzi.

The WA Label is available to all officially sanctioned road races that have taken place for at least two consecutive years prior to 2022 with an international measurement certificate in place. For first-time Labels in 2022, a World Athletics technical consultant will be appointed to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.

World Athletics Elite Label races must have a prize money structure in place that awards at least the top eight finishers, with minimum winner's prizes of US$ 15,000 (marathons) and $7500 (other distances), per gender.

The World Athletics Elite Platinum Label is only available to races that had been granted Platinum status in 2021, irrespective of whether the race took place or not.

By choosing to have a World Athletics Label, race organisers also show a tangible commitment to clean sport by funding a dedicated road-racing out-of-competition testing programme, managed by the Athletics Integrity Unit.